Mode of supporting and journaling motors and high-speed shafts driven thereby



Aug. 7, 1928. 1,679,890

R. A'. BALDWIN MODE 0F SUPPORTING AND JOURNALING MOTORS AND HIGH SPEED SHAFTS DRIVEN THEREBY Filed Sept. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 7, 1 928. I 1,679,890

R. A. BALDWIN MODE 0F SUPPORTING AND JOURNALING MOTORS AND HIGH SPEED SHAF'IS DRIVEN THEREBY Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

ROBERT ALEXANDER BALDWIN,

HODE OF SUPPORTING AND JOURNAL Application filed September 14, 1927, Serial No.

This invention relates to improvements in and in the mode of supporting and 19111: naling motors and high speed shafts driven thereby, and is specially applicable to those cases in which the apparatus driven comprises a part the centre of gravity of which, by reason of unequal loading or the like, varies in position from time to'time, as for example in centrifugal spinning apparatus employed in connection with the manufactureof artificial silk; and the object is to provide an improved arrangement of driving motor whereby, with a high speed rotating mass having a variable centre of gravity, rotation takes place about an axis passing through the centre of gravity,

so that vibration and consequent wear is practically eliminated.

According to the invention has mounted on it, or has formed integral with it, the exteriorly disposed rotor member of the motor employed, and is directly connected to the mass to be rotated; and the interiorly disposed stator member of the motor is carried by suitable bearings from the rotor member or from the main shaft so that the stator and rotor are, for all positions of the shaft, held in true concentric relationship.

The main shaft with the rotor and stator thus connected, is so journaled that when the centre of gravity of the mass to be rotated does not coincide with the geometrical axis of the main shaft, rotation of themass at. high speeds can take place about an, axis (usually a vertical'axis) passing through the centre of gravity of the mass to be rotated, and intersecting the axis of the said shaft at a convenient point in relation to the motor, in which case the motion of the axis of the main shaft is one of circumduction,

, its locus being the surface of a cone the apex of which is at the said point of intere section, and the axis of which is the axis of rotation of the mass. Y

'A self-aligning bearing for the main shaft is provided at or near that point in. its length at which it is desired the apex of the said cone shall be located.

The interiorly disposed stator of course the main shaft OF ASHTON-ON-MERSEY, ENGLAND.

me morons AND men-seam) smrs DRIVEN rnEnEBY. a

219,547, and in Great Britain July 9, 1921;.

requires to be held against rotation due to the reaction of the driving torque, an

dit

necessarily partakes of the motion of, cirtorqu cumduction of the main shaft; the reaction e is therefore so applied. as to permit of this motion of the stator without undue restraint.

In the case of a centrifuge driven by an electromotor, which is' usually situated below the driven vessel, the axis of the motor Will tend to describe a cone, the approximate "vertical axis of which a will pass through the centre of gravity of the rotator mass; and according to the invention ght of the rotating system is carried by a bearing, suitable to takethe heavy stresses, at or near to the axis of thesaid cone, and is free to follow the motion of circumduction of the shaft, the rotating mem and sosupported that it is located her and the stationary member of the-motor being journaled togethe bearings which, as they have not to sup r by relatively light port the main weight, may be made comparativ ely light and yet be sufficient to maintain without'straining and with comparatively little friction the necessary concentricity of the said motor parts, and thus ensure high efficiency of motor performance, to take the torque the device reaction being flexible enough to do so without the introduction of objectionable stresses.

he rotor is the exteriorly 10 of the motor, and it is ma is fixed to the main shaf apparatus to be driven, modification being journa manner inthe rot cated member de integral with or t connected to the the stator in this led in any suitable or, and being held against rotation about the axis of the rotor by a torque applied as above described; preferably the stator is mounted on a shaft the opposite en 1n bearlngs carrie ds of which are journaled d bythe rotor or main shaft, the torque to take reaction ofthedriv-' ing torquebeing applied to the outer protruding end of the said shaft; or the stator may be mountedon a shaftforming a rigid extension of the niainfshaftj through torque and; passing the centre of the rotor, the reaction being applied, as described, to a sleeve extending from the outerend of the stator, which sleeve, toprevent flexure ofthe extension shaft, may, be journaled in bearings carried from the rotor structure.

In the case of an electric motor the current would preferably be sup bed to; the stator and the-rotor would be 0 the s uirrel cage type. In the case of a turbine t e operating fluid would be supplied to the stator.

The self-aligning bearing for the main shaft may be of any suitable and well-known type such as a bearing spherically seated in the fixed part of the apparatus, or it may be a bearing attached to the central part ef a flexible diaphragm the peripheral portions of which are attached to the said fixed part, for example a rubber diaphragm.

The self-aligning bearing may be located.

between the motor and the apparatus to be rotated, or on the side of the motor remote from the said apparatus; and this bearing may be separate from the bearings by which the rotor and stator are held in concentric relationship, or may, in the case of an exteriorly located rotor or of an exteriorly located rotor, be combined with one of the two bearings between the rotor and stator, such bearings being either the one near to, or the one remote from the apparatus to be rotated.

The flexible means for applying the reaction torque to the stator may be separate from the "said self-aligning bearing su porting means, and may be a spring or a exibletube or a flexible diaphragm; or where theself-aligning bearing is combined with one of the bearings between the rotor and the stator, a flexible diaphragm may be arranged to support the bearing part attached to the stator so as to permit of universal movement, and also to rovide the flexible means to transmit to the stator the torque necessary 'to hold it against rotation.

WVhere the self-aligning bearing is on the side of the motor remote from the apparatus to be driven, whether a separate self-aligning hearing or whether combined with the lower bearing between the rotor and the stator, the upper end of the shaft may pass out of the fixed structure in which the motor is mounted through a clearance hole, being supported circumferentially by means which when the apparatus is at rest, holds it in approximately vertical position, said supporting means however being so arranged that when the normal speed of rotation is reached the shaft rotates without contact with such supporting means.

I have illustrated my invention in the ac-- companying drawings which are diagrammatic in character, and do not illustrate the details of construction of the bearings'which may be of any usual or suitable type such as.

small horse-power induction motors usually employed, or other motors such as turbines,

may be used, provided that the rotor is ex-' m ain bearing and the centrifugevessel.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the preferred arrangements.

Throughout the drawings ;A is the centrifuge vessel; B the main shaft which car- :2, 3, 4 and 6 the motor is located between t e ries the vessel; 0 the main hearing which is of the universal self-aligning type; the

fixed frame from which the apparatus is carried; F the flexible means by which the stator is held against rotation; and E is the electro-motor, the stator or fixed part of which and rotor of which are respectively designated S and R'; these letters being generally distinguished in the several figures by the addition of the numeral corresponding with the figure number.

Before referringto the preferred forms in detail, the more diagrammatic views, Figs. 1 to 4, will be briefly described as indicating generally suitable modifications of the arrangement in which the rotor of the motor is externally mounted.

Referring first to Fig. 1,A is the centrifuge vessel mounted on the shaft B connected to the rotor R of the motor E; the shaft B is carried in the main bearing C supported from the fixed casing D by a flexible member G. 'The stator S is provided with a shaft 8 journaled in bearings r and r in the rotor structure, the shaft protruding through the rotor and being connected to a flange f connected by the flexible member F to the fixed casing D.

In Fig. 2 the arrangement is similar to Fig. 1 except that the main bearing C is on the side of the motor-remote from the vessel A, being supported from the fixed casing D by the flexible member G the shaft .9 of the stator being connected to the flange f which in turn is connected to the casing by the flexible member F The shaft B passes through an opening (1 in the casing D, rotating clear of the said opening when Fig. 3 is substantially similar to Fig. 2

except that the main bearing C and the flange f to which the stator shaft 8 is ber G may ing member F stator S ismount a :ont is journa led on ashaftr forming part of the rotor structure, the nected to theflangej f supportedby the he sleeve flexible member GF which, as' inf Fig.1 3,

serves a doubl main sleeve 4 and the torque resisting meme her 7, in. which case combined thrust and" ournal bearing; 'In each modification thestatonshaft is' in alignment withthe main shaft. w

Referring .now to Fig; 5, which" form shown more Fig. 1;-

The centrifuge vessel A is carried by the shaft B which is mounted in the main bearing C, which may be any suitable type of combined journal and thrust bearing, say a journal provided with journal and thrust ball races. The bearing G is carried by the flexible member G from the fixed frame or casing D of the machine; the flexible memconsist of laminated or corelastic discs or strips, such as rubrugated ber secured to the'bearing by the screws v and to the fixed casing D by the screws (i To the shaft B is rigidly fixed the rotor R of the electric motor E so that the rotor and shaft rotate together; S is the stator of the motor and s the stator shaft; this shaft is carried in bearings 7* and 1' formed in the rotor structure, the stator and rotor. being maintained. by the said shaft and bearings in concentric relationship.

The shaft 8 extends through the bearing 1' and is secured to a flange or coupling 74. which is held against rotation'relatively to the casing or frame D by the torque resistwhich may consist of flexible discs or strips secured to the flange f by the screws f and to the fixed casing by the screws d The flexible member F is so arranged as to permit of the angular and transverse movement of the flange f but to prevent its rotation, the member F 5 therefore serving to take the reaction torque.

Assuming that the motor is energized and that rotation is imparted to the rotor R it will be seen that if the centre of gravity of the load in the vessel A is not coincident with the common axis of the shafts s and the rotation of the vessel A will take place about an axis passing through the centre of gravity and intersecting the common axis of the shafts B and .9 said common axis being free to take up a motion of circumduction about a cone surface preferably having its apex at or near the centre of the bearing C the flexible support G of the main bearing C and the flexible g. 4 is similar to that the 9 "Referring sleeve 0 being conjpurpose of supporting thef E 'pof't'ed in bearings" m and. 0 formed in the rotor-structure,iand asubeforeextends, therotor and is" attached to affiange; f carried bythe .fiexibleqmember. j-G Ffithe is the diagrammatically in f the bearing 0 is a" torque resisting member F permitting this fniovement to take place freely whilst true concentricity of running betw en the rotor- A 5 and "stator S is ensured without subject-1+ I ing the bearings wa dwto undue stress.

which is substantially the arrangement illustrated mO'l'ezm diagrammatically in l' Figk 2 --the vessel A as before is attached to the shaitB now; to "Fig. l a;

letter secured toi'therotorvlt of the motor through latter, as before,f:being; secured to. the flange 6 by he screws, ft. and tothe casing l) by the screws d through an opening 01 in the top of the fixed casing D which opening is made sufficiently large to allow the shaft B, when the apparatus is running, to rotate freely, but serves to afford lateral support to the shaft B when the apparatus is at rest, and the vessel A is being loaded.

The bearing G is the main bearing and is equivalent to the bearing C of Fig. 5 but instead of being located as in Fig. 5 between the motor and the vessel A it is located on the side of the motor remote from the vessel A; the shaft 8 is, of course, fixed and it is enlarged as at s so as to form a journal for the main bearing G, the latter bearing forming as in Fig. 5 a combined journal and thrust bearing and may conveniently comprise journal and thrust ball bearings.

In this case it will be seen that the flexible member GF, fulfills the double function of flexibly supporting the journal of the main bearing 0 and forming the flexible member to take the torque reaction.

Should the centre of gravity of the loaded vessel A not lie on the combined common axis of the shafts s and B, rotation at The shaft B passes andethe": 75,? the'shaft s of the stator S is 'suphigh speeds will take place about an axis passing through the centre of gravity and intersecting the common axis of the shafts B and s sa1d common axis having a motion of circumduction about a cone, the apex of which preferably is at or near the centre of the bearing C".

In this arrangement therefore as in Fig. 5, the apparatus is capable of rotation at very high speeds without imparting vibra- 1 tion to the motor or to the casing D, the bearings between the rotor and the stator not being subjected to undue stress or vibration which permits a high efficient performance of the motor.

The motor may, when alternating current is available, conveniently be of induction type, the rotor having a squirrel cage winding so dispensing with running contacts.

Having now fully described my invention, I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination, an inner fixed stator member, an outer rotor member, a frame surroundinv and enclosing said stator and rotor members, a bearing for supporting said rotor and stator, and a flexible connection between said bearing and said frame, whereby the axis of the stator and rotor members may assume angular position in said frame during rotation under load.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the bearing for supporting the rotor and stator together with the flexible connection are disposed above said rotor and stator, a lower guide bearing for the rotor and a lower flexible connection between said lower bearing and said frame.

3. In combination an inner fixed stator member having a fixed shaft, an outer rotor member having upper and lower .walls, a frame surrounding and enclosing said stator and rotor members, said stator shaft extending through said lower wall and into said upper wall and providing a bearing for said rotor, and a flexible connection between said stator shaft and said frame.

In testimony whereof I set my hand.

ROBERT A. BALDWIN. 

